Latest items for MARR-PRACTICE-3

"The Finance Ministry has endorsed the proposal to create a scheme for housewives under the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), including a monthly allowance payment by the government. . .Other women support groups had endorsed the new scheme for housewives. Some organisations want more to be done for single mothers and their children" (para 1-13). Some groups talk about not enough being done for single moms, which could indicate that single parenthood is not seen as acceptable in society (CEM - CODER COMMENT).

In Kayah/Karenni and Shan villages women impregnated outside of wedlock are expelled from the village because they are deemed impure (page 7). "Pregnancy out of marriage/wedlock: Palaung: Women required to hold a village cleaning ceremony, fined, driven out of the village and/or disowned by her family. Source: Palaung Women’s Organisation (PWO). Pa-O: Women are forced to marry another man. Source: Pa-O Women’s Union (PWU). Rakhaing: Women are driven out of the village. Source: Rakhaing Women’s Union (RWU). Shan: Central Shan State: women are driven out of the village and required to lift a very heavy rock if they want to be allowed back in. Other parts of Shan state: women...more

"The Committee is concerned about reports that a high number of children are not immediately registered at birth and that cumbersome procedures are in place for the registration of children above 5 years of age. It notes with concern reports of obstacles to the registration of the birth of children born out of wedlock, often resulting from the stigmatization faced by single mothers. The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that all children born in the State party, including those born out of wedlock or in rural areas, are immediately registered at birth to enable them to gain access to citizenship, education and health, and that it take steps...more

"The Committee welcomes the adoption of Law No. 99-05 of 29 January 1999 criminalizing female genital mutilation and of a second national action plan to accelerate the elimination female genital mutilation (2010-2015), as well as the measures taken to raise public awareness of harmful practices. It is concerned, however, at the persistence of adverse cultural norms, practices and traditions as well as patriarchal attitudes and deep-rooted stereotypes regarding the roles, responsibilities and identities of women and men in the family and society. It notes that stereotypes contribute to the persistence of violence against women as well as harmful practices, including female genital mutilation, levirate and sororate, child marriage, polygamy, repudiation,...more

"A small team tries to help the clients, who may be single mothers or prostitutes or both, overcome any sense of victimization they might experience by society" (para 2). "In sandy, dusty Ouagadougou, located in the center of this landlocked country in West Africa, stigmatization is an active form of abuse carried out against young single mothers or prostitutes, which is why the clinic was launched by Keogo, a local association, or charity. The abuse extends to the very place women and girls may seek safety, comfort and medical attention: in hospitals" (para 3). "'I knew I was pregnant after six months because I was really sick,' Djamilatou said. 'I...more

"On Jan. 14, the Turkish parliament established an investigative commission called 'Protecting the Integrity of Family,' with the purpose of investigating the causes of the skyrocketing divorce rates" (para 1) (Coder comment: if the government deems it necessary to prevent divorce, we can conclude that society does not view single parenthood as acceptable - ARR).

"This whole legal mess is rooted in laws that were written more than half a century ago, experts say. Back then, society didn't legally acknowledge parental rights for children who were born to unmarried women -- 'or, to use an antiquated term, "born out of wedlock,"' said Multnomah County, Oregon, Circuit Court Judge Katherine Tennyson, president of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. 'So traditionally, laws didn't take into account how was the child was conceived'"(para 27-28)

"Other single women, and to a lesser extent single men, are increasingly choosing to adopt and raise a child in a one-parent household. ... in the United States it estimated that in the last few years approximately 25 percent of special needs adoption and 5 percent of adoptions were by single parents" (para 16).

"Other single women, and to a lesser extent single men, are increasingly choosing to adopt and raise a child in a one-parent household. In the United Kingdom 10 percent of all adoptions between 2012 and 2013 were done by single persons" (para 16).

“The government in Burma is considering introducing a law that would see men jailed for up to seven years if they get a woman pregnant but do not marry her. A senior official said the legislation was being introduced as part of measures designed to strengthen women's rights” (para 1-2). “If the law successfully passes through parliament, it would mean men face a penalty of up to five years in prison if they refuse to marry a woman after they have lived together, and up to seven if she is pregnant” (para 4).

"Too often, women feel a tremendous amount of pressure to stay in abusive relationships, as they are told that they are bringing shame to the family if they decide to speak out"(41)."Even in extreme situations, women seldom view the legal system as a source of assistance, and the issue of domestic violence is kept shrouded in secrecy. Often cases that do enter the system are withdrawn during the process. Women withdraw cases of domestic violence after complaining to the police for a variety of reasons. These women may fear breaking up the family or being on their own. Given the cultural norms, they may be overcome by stigma and shame....more

“The proportion of women who have never married affects fertility levels in a society like Bangladesh, where childbearing outside marriage is uncommon” (48). “Marriage in Bangladesh marks the point in a woman’s life when childbearing becomes socially acceptable” (50).

“About 14 percent live with their mother only while the father is alive; a slightly higher proportion than observed in the 2008 SLDHS (10 percent)” (21). “Seven percent live with their father while the mother is alive; a slightly higher proportion (9 percent) was observed in 2008” (21).

"Despite the country’s rapidly changing ways, Tunisia struggles to adapt its legislation to its modernizing society. In November 2011, 10 months after Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled the country, Souad Abderrahim, a female representative of the Islamist party Ennahda, called single mothers a 'disgrace.' Her statement caused significant outrage in the media and on social networks. Articles were published in response on the award-winning collective blog Nawaat, while Tunisian activist Lina Ben Mhenni, a 2011 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, called Abderrahim’s declaration 'outrageous'" (para 5). "Most of the women who get pregnant outside of marriage prefer to run away from home to avoid scorn and humiliation from...more

"Though laws governing surrogacy have yet to be passed, the government outlined its position in an affidavit placed before the Supreme Court on Oct. 28. It said India 'does not support commercial surrogacy and the scope of surrogacy is limited to Indian married infertile couples only, and not to foreigners.' A previous order had already barred gay and unmarried couples and single people from hiring surrogates"(para 7). The inability of single people to hire surrogates indicates that the government and possibly society believes that single parenthood is unacceptable (ENB- Coder Comment)

"A few weeks after the National Constituent Assembly elections, Souad Abderrahim, the 'non-veiled' spokeswoman of the Islamic party Ennahda, said that 'single mothers are a disgrace to Tunisians and do not have the right to exist'. She added: 'In Arab-Muslim customs and traditions in Tunisia there are no room for full and absolute freedom…'. Such statements eventually paved the way for the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, calling for polygamy and Shariaa Law" (para 8)

"According to the Survey on Household Expenditure in BiH [Bosnia and Herzegovina] in 2007, the total number of single parent households and households with single parents living in extended families in BiH is 115,640 which represents 10.9 percent of total households. Of the total number of households, single parent households make up 75,253 or 7.1 percent at the State level, of which 49,108 in the FBiH (7.5 percent), 24,849 (6.6 percent) in RS [Republika Srpska], 1,296 (percent not calculated due to small sample) in BDBiH, while the number of households with single parent living with other relatives are 40,387 or 3.8 percent at the State level, of which 25,531 are...more

"However, the fact that government bodies charge a social compensation fee to these out-of-wedlock children has actually required the prerequisite of having a legal marriage before giving birth. This, in Huang's opinion, has deprived these unmarried birth-givers of their legal rights" (para 15)